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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kick — in football
  5. firm — steady
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. firm — a company
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com